I didn't know I was married to...........

Grizzly Adams!  

There once was a man named Rand, he secretly wished he was named "Grizz".  Grizz was a visionary man full of dreams and passions.  He was a man of sustenance, wisdom and "pure brute manlyness".   He felt one with nature and longed to spend quanity time in the Great Outdoors. 

Hidden well from his friends was Grizz's softer side of his personality.  Grizz had attributes that made him a great father and husband, a gentler type of man.  And although Grizz's passion for his family ran deep his desire for hunting and a life in the great outdoors ran a close 2nd. Nature continually beckoned him to the point that his primitive instincts to hunt and gather would take over.  The only way he could silence this call would be to leave his family for a brief period of time to fulfill his dreams in becoming,

 "the wild man".

Months and months of planning went into the adventure next on 

Grizz's agenda.  Everything was organized, the troops were carefully chosen and assembled, the supplies had been bought and bought and bought, the only thing missing was the month of June.  June came soon enough but not for Grizz's 8 yr old son, Jake.  Jake also had that yearning and desire to be "one with nature" he felt the pull of the mountains and was caught up in the excitement and danger of it all .  He was his father's son, and he was now old enough to tag along on adventure after adventure with Grizz!  

Who would be up to the task?  Who would be strong enough to bring in the big one?  These questions crossed Grizz's mind as he was in the early planning stages.  Who could he share his sacred, precious time with in the mountains?   The list was long but in the end it was narrowed down to a "few good men".  Each chosen for their individual character traits that would add for a perfect hunt.

With the men chosen -- Let the Bear Hunt begin! 

 Now Grizz knew that the big bears were going to be in the High Country so the trek to Challis Idaho began.  Along the way up North the chosen men were picked up at different locations.  Each one just as excited as the other for a chance to get into some fresh mountain air and to test their skills at survival in the wild.  They were eager with anticipation and ready to kill the big one.... their hunting senses were heightened with the  smell of early morning dew off the grass, a crackling fire and the lull of the river as it would put them to sleep each night.  Speaking of rivers, they would be crossed and in crossing the hunters would be one step closer to the big big bears.

Jake in his nervousness made the decision to cross the river with one of the more experienced riders of the group, his Grandpa Don.  He trusted his horse sense (mule sense) and felt confidence in his choice for his 1st river crossing.  Grandpa Don looked at the task at hand and with his hand on his grandson's leg took off for a week adventure with nothing but a wild river in his way.

 Jake being the son of Grizz realized quickly that he had his own special closeness with nature and animals and his confidence grew quickly.  He would soon loose the firm grasp of his grandpa and set out on his own to conquer the river.  His calmness brought reassurance to Kay his mule and she crossed that next river to safety with the hands of Jake leading her.

Grizz was giddy as a boy himself with the way his hunt was unfolding.  The days were full of relaxing and game playing.  The fellowship of his "few good men" validated that Grizz had chosen wisely.  Naps were taken, rocks were thrown at cans, squirrels were disected by curious 8 yr olds, horses were tended to, baits were set and stories and poems were recited.  

Strawberry Big Hunk = Bear's delight only to = bears killed at night.

This mixture of peanuts, whip cream and strawberry pie filling couldn't keep the smile off Jake's face.

The days were filled with pure enjoyment and made the price of the hunt well worth it alone.... But when the air would cool and the sounds of early evening would be heard the hunters knew the rituals would soon begin.  Things that only " bear hunters" can understand.

Little boys would  transform to young warriors.

Jake would sense the urgency of watching the older and wiser hunters.  He would marvel in the fact that both of his grandpa's were such mighty men!

Horses and mules were skiddish with desire to expend energy in getting hunters to the chosen bait sites.

Grizz loved the nighttime.  He loved the unknown, he loved the chance he might have to fire a weapon.  The thrill of the ride, the anticipation of the night, the sweat that formed as he hiked even on the coolest of nights.  Grizz loved having Jake by his side and proving that with determination he could match him almost step for step. Grizz wondered in amazement as a typical noisy 8 yr old sat silently by him waiting for the bear to appear.  He loved the slump of a body against his arm as that same 8 yr old tired and slept from the hike he had just accomplished.  This is what hunting was about and he felt pride at being a "hunter".

Those feelings of peace, pride and melancholy would soon be taken over for Grizz by a rush of adrenaline as he saw the long awaited bear, "Tippy" stroll in for some Whip Cream Ripple.  Questions raced through Grizz's mind, is it a big one?, is it the right one?, is it a ...........................Boom!  Questions answered, bear down and hunt a success.

If Grizz thought the days were great and the company grand, then this was just pure elation.  This was blood pumping through veins, this was the feeling of "man conquer's beast".  This was manliness at its finest. 

 Grizz was a hunter!

After the hunt was over Grizz felt that same pull that led him to the mountains pull him in another direction....home!  Home to family and friends with stories to tell but feelings that only other "bear hunters" would understand.

Jake would leave the mountain with an appreciation of nature, with determination to play hard but work harder.  He would leave knowing that he would soon become a man and he would be a "hunter"!

At the end of it all most everyone went home very, very tired!

Grizz as he was leaving off the mountain had one last thought,  how in the world would he convince his beautiful wife to hang a bear rug right above their bed????  Hmmm, that's a whole other story!